Unbelievable
by Miss Pookamonga
Summary: Change is no stranger to Gogo Tomago. But when a transfer student named Tadashi Hamada quite literally walks into her life, he changes things in ways she couldn't even begin to expect. Pre-movie Tomadashi development. Rated T for slight language, suggestive themes, and implied past violence. UPDATED!
1. Deer in the Headlights

_Dear Readers,  
><em>

_OHAI GUYS! If any of you here are familiar with me from the HTTYD fandom, it's been a LOOOOONG time. I apologize profusely for my extreme procrastination (not all of which is justifiable) - yes, I am fully aware it's been a year. I do intend to get back to work on the HTTYD fics, but unfortunately they are going to have to wait just a bit longer because after seeing _Big Hero 6, _I have acquired a new obsession and some insanely awesome plotbunnies that I just HAVE to get out, this obviously being one of them. I swear it has nothing to do with how emotionally compromised I was by that movie. Really, it has nothing to do with that. I didn't cry or have extreme denial issues or anything. Really. ::cough::  
><em>

_Anyway, after seeing BH6 three times in the span of a week (no joke) and reblogging a bagillion things on tumblr, I've pretty much jumped onto the Tomadashi/Gogodashi? ship and am sinking pretty fast with it. The idea behind this fic is to explore how Gogo and Tadashi met and how their relationship evolved up until...well, you know. I'm pretty excited about it, since it's been a while since I've really had enough of a drive to not let writer's block get to me. So go ahead, read and let me know what you think! I hope you guys enjoy it._

_Best Regards,_

_Pooka_

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><p><strong>Soundtrack: <strong>"Deer in the Headlights" by Owl City

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><p><strong><em>Unbelievable<em>**

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><p><strong>I. Deer in the Headlights<strong>

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><p><em>"Tell me again was it love at first sight<br>When I walked by and you caught my eye  
>Didn't you know love could shine this bright?<br>Well smile because you're the deer in the headlights…"_

—Owl City, "Deer in the Headlights"

* * *

><p>It was almost surreal how things could change in the blink of an eye.<p>

Not that Gogo didn't know that already. She'd been through one hell of a rollercoaster ride the past few years, and as it was, the face of change was an all too familiar one. But there were still times when life managed to throw a curveball in her direction and quite abruptly catch her off-balance.

The day _he _walked into her life was no exception.

Years later, she could still remember it clearly. It was the first day of the spring semester, sophomore year. She'd just finished a particularly unsatisfying breakfast at the student restaurant (not that the notoriously poor food quality was much of a surprise anymore) and was heading out the building to her engineering class. As Fred's apt nickname for her suggested, the minute she stepped outside she was immediately on the go, striding at a very brisk pace without taking so much as a single glance at her surroundings. That was how she always did things – quickly and efficiently. Her brain and body were perpetually set on "speed" mode and aside from sleep, there was never much of a reason for her to slow down.

Not until that morning, that is.

She was moving so fast that she was completely oblivious to the figure on her right approaching the sidewalk just a few feet in front of her. And, as luck would have it, the moment the figure stepped onto the pavement, Gogo collided with it in full force, knocking a cardboard box full of books to the ground in the process.

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry! "

The apologetic voice, quite surprisingly, came not from the Gogo's mouth but from the mouth of a tall, dark-haired boy – the figure she had just unceremoniously barreled into.

The petite girl blinked in confusion for a split second as she caught her bearings. Why the hell was the boy apologizing? _She _was the one who had knocked into _him. _

"Are you okay?"

The question snapped Gogo back to her senses and she shook her head. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Sorry, it's my fault. I wasn't looking," she replied, glancing down at the mess on the pavement. She crouched down and began picking the books – newly-rented textbooks, by the look of them – up off the ground.

"You don't have to do that – I've got it," the boy interjected, kneeling and hastily scooping up the items into his arms and depositing them into the box.

"No, it's fine – I knocked them over," Gogo said, continuing to help. "Geez, did you rent out an entire library or something?"

The boy chuckled, and at the sound, the young woman glimpsed upward and got a better look at his face. It was a nice face – soft brown eyes, high cheekbones, tufts of black hair peeking out from under his cap. What got to her, though, was the smile. Quite unexpectedly, Gogo felt a little jolt in her stomach as she caught sight of the boy's sideways grin. Gulping uncomfortably, she tore her gaze away and directed her attention to the final book lying on the sidewalk, all the while mentally cursing herself for the unwelcome reaction to the stranger.

"I just registered," the boy responded as he heaved the box off the ground, although Gogo had momentarily forgotten that she'd even said anything beforehand. "Didn't have a chance to get books till today."

"Ah," she said, nodding her head curtly as she stood up. "Transfer?"

"Yeah." She nodded again.

They stood there for an unnecessarily long moment, neither of them saying a word, until the boy spoke up again.

"So," he muttered awkwardly, "thanks, uh, for helping me with the books. See ya 'round."

"Uh, yeah, no prob," Gogo replied, giving him a brief wave as he walked away. "See ya."

But even as he disappeared from her sight, Gogo couldn't shake the thought of the boy from her mind. Something about him – something she couldn't quite put her finger on – had struck her, and no matter how much she tried to brush it off in the following hours, the odd feeling remained.

Little did she know that after that one brief meeting, her life would never be the same again.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed normally – classes, lunch, a quick power-nap on the main lawn. When she arrived at her dorm suite, though, Gogo felt strangely worn out, and within seconds of stepping through the door, she was sprawled out on the couch with her eyes closed.<p>

"Hiya!" a high-pitched, particularly perky voice called from the kitchenette. "Sooo, how was the first day back at the old chipping block?"

Gogo snorted at her roommate's use of terminology. There was no end to Honey Lemon's quirkiness. Oftentimes the quieter girl found herself pondering how on earth the two of them had ever become friends, given how polar opposite they were. It was a mystery Gogo wasn't quite sure she would ever solve, but to be honest, she didn't really care. For all her oddities, Honey was a loyal friend, and that was all that really mattered.

"It was boring," Gogo finally answered after a moment's silence. "Oh, and the guy I had to sit next to in calc is definitely a chain-smoker. I was gagging the whole time. _God_, he smelled awful."

"Aww," Honey cooed sympathetically. Gogo could hear the other girl rummaging around in the fridge. "That's too bad. Everything else go okay, though?"

"Yeah," Gogo murmured, opening her eyes. "What about you?"

"It went pretty well," the taller girl piped, pulling a pan out of one of the cabinets. "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you – I saw Wasabi earlier and I invited him and his new friend to dinner, if that's okay with you."

"Sure, totally fine," Gogo sighed, letting her eyelids fall closed again.

"This guy is _totally_ adorable - sweetest guy _ever_," Honey continued excitedly as she turned on the stove. "He's new, just transferred here or something. 'Sabi met him at the back-to-school ice cream social they had on Saturday, y'know? I forget his name, though. Tad-something. Sounded Japanese."

"Mmm," the brunette grunted in acknowledgement of Honey's rambling.

"_Aaany_way, I really like him. Such a nice guy. Cute too. And _ta-all_." The last word she sang gleefully, bouncing happily on her tiptoes.

Gogo snickered. "First day back and you already have new eye-candy? That must be some kind of record."

"_Actually_, I was thinking more along the lines of, well, somebody for _you –"_

"Oh, God, Honey, you're not trying to set me up again, are you? You _know_ I hate it when you do that."

"But you're never gonna find anybody if you just sit around and do nothing! You have to get out and meet people!"

"What if I don't want to meet people? What if I'm perfectly fine becoming an old cat lady?"

Honey let out an annoyed huff and turned in the direction of her roommate to yell at her. "You are _not _becoming an old cat lady!"

Gogo sat up and grinned slyly at her friend. "But what if it makes me happy? What if being an old cat lady is the one thing I find truly fulfilling in the otherwise dull, meaningless existence that is my life?"

"Ugh," the blonde muttered in frustration, re-directing her attention to the stir-fry she was cooking. "You are impossible."

"I keep telling you that, but you still insist on trying to find me a knight in shining armor anyway," Gogo quipped, leaning her elbow against the back of the couch. "I'm a lost cause. You know that."

"Nope, you're not. I'm not giving up on you. _He _is out there and you are going to find him and live happily ever after even if I have to drag you to him by your ankles!"

The smaller girl chuckled and shook her head in amusement. When Honey Lemon set her mind to something, there was no convincing her to give up. It was one of the few characteristics Gogo shared in common with her.

"Do you need any help in there?" she called, swinging her legs off the couch.

"No, no, I'm fine," came the reply. "Just go make yourself look _presentable_ before they get here."

"Honey, I am not going to get all dolled up for Wasabi and some random guy I haven't even met." Gogo sauntered into the kitchenette and began pulling plates out of one of the cabinets. "Besides, I look totally 'presentable.'" The last word she accentuated with air quotes, to which Honey simply rolled her eyes.

"Fine," Honey sighed as she scooped the cooked food out of the pan and into a large bowl. "Go ahead, throw away a beautiful opportunity for lifelong happiness."

"I _told _you, I have no problem with being a cat lady."

"Oh, will you stop saying that?!"

Gogo simply laughed.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Gogo was lounging on the couch again when a loud knock sounded from the door.<p>

"Ooh! They're here!" Honey cried. "Go, can you get it? I'm taking out the rice."

"Sure," Gogo answered, standing up and making her way to the door. She undid the lock and swung the door open, opening her mouth to grant their guests a greeting. But when her eyes met the sight before her, she suddenly froze, her mouth hanging open surprise.

It was book-boy.

Well, Wasabi was there too. But standing just behind him was the boy she'd bumped into that morning, wearing the same lopsided grin he had before. Without warning, Gogo's stomach did a little flip, and she clenched her teeth down on her gum in attempt to make the annoying sensation go away.

"Uhh, earth to Gogo!" Wasabi waved a large hand in front of the girl's face. "You okay?"

Gogo let out a huff, pretending that nothing odd had just happened. "Of course I'm okay," was all she said before stepping aside and letting the two boys in. "What's up."

"Oh my gosh, _hiii_!" Honey Lemon exclaimed, rushing out of the kitchenette to envelop Wasabi in a tight hug. She did a little hop and turned to the other boy. "And you're – oh, I'm such a scatterbrain. I forgot your name."

"Tadashi," book-boy replied in a gentle voice, extending his hand. Instead of taking it, however, Honey leapt onto him, squeezing his shoulders in another embrace.

"Tadashi!" she squealed. "That's right!" The tall girl pulled away, now bouncing excitedly on her toes again. "Oh, and this is my friend Go – I mean, Leiko. I mean, her name's actually Ethel, but she goes by her middle name, except we all call her—"

"Gogo," Gogo interrupted, sticking out her hand.

"Heh, small world, huh?" Book-boy – Tadashi – clasped her hand in his. It was warm and his grip was firm, but not crushing. If Gogo hadn't been so frustrated at her stomach's sudden unwillingness to calm down, she might've enjoyed the feeling more.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Wasabi asked.

"WHAT!" cried Honey, grabbing Gogo by the shoulder. "You didn't tell me—"

"I knocked his books over on the way to class this morning."

Honey and Wasabi each raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, I ran into her by accident," Tadashi explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"_Actually_, _I _ran into _him_, but for some reason he still thinks it's his fault," Gogo countered.

"Aww, well it's _so _great that we're all here together!" Honey bubbled, clasping her hands and bouncing on the balls of her feet for the umpteenth time that evening. "Come on, come on, fill up a plate and sit down! I cooked chicken stir-fry with Teriyaki sauce!"

"Mmm, I love me some Teriyaki chicken," Wasabi mused, following the exuberant blonde to the kitchenette counter. "She's a great cook," he added to Tadashi, who had somehow ended up standing next to Gogo.

"He's been telling me that all day," Tadashi laughed quietly, leaning towards the shorter girl with an amused smile.

Gogo, unsure of how to react to the new boy's sudden proximity to her face, said nothing and merely began loading an empty plate with food. She could feel the boy's inquisitive gaze locked on her, though, and it made her stomach continue to act as if it were a trapeze artist in a traveling circus.

"Don't mind her," Wasabi remarked as he hoisted himself onto a stool to eat. "Sometimes she likes to pretend we don't exist."

"Because sometimes you're an obnoxious ass," the girl retorted.

"Aaand the claws are out!" the larger boy teased.

"Shut up," Gogo snapped, taking her own seat.

"Not until you admit you messed with my coffee that one time—"

"You're _still _on about that? That was a whole fricking _year_ ago!"

"Well, it was very distressing!"

"Ugh, you're such a loser, you know that?"

"_Guys_!" Honey hissed, jerking her head in Tadashi's direction.

"It's okay," Tadashi chuckled, sliding onto the stool next to Gogo's. "Some guys at my old school got like that a lot."

"Where'd you go?" Gogo asked before she could stop herself. She inadvertently found her eyes locking with Tadashi's warm ones, and the minute she did, she instantly felt like muttering a string of curses under her breath.

What the hell was wrong with her? He was just a stupid boy, for God's sake.

"I was studying nursing at San Fransokyo University," Tadashi answered, unaware of Gogo's current struggle to maintain control of herself. "But, in the end, my love for robotics won out. So here I am." At that, he flashed Gogo another bright grin, causing the girl to nearly choke on a piece of chicken.

"N-nursing to—" _ahem "—_robotics, huh?" Gogo replied, attempting to clear her throat without drawing too much attention to herself. "That's quite a switch."

"Yeah," the boy said, that exasperating smile still plastered on his face. "I mean, I've always wanted to help people. I just didn't know in what capacity, y'know? Thought I wanted to work in the medical field but then I kinda discovered I'm not so great with blood—"

"What, did you faint or something?"

Gogo tried to ignore the sound of Wasabi nearly spitting out his drink and the death glare Honey was aiming at her from Tadashi's other side.

"Ha, actually, yeah, I sort of did…"

"Dude, are you serious?" Wasabi interrupted, an incredulous look on his face.

"I admit it, I'm a wimp," Tadashi laughed, jabbing aimlessly at a carrot with his fork.

"Oh, being grossed out by blood doesn't mean you're a wimp!" Honey crooned.

"No, but fainting over it does," Gogo uttered. God, she really needed to shut up.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Honey opening her mouth to refute that last statement, but Tadashi, who was _still _grinning like a goddamned kid in a candy store, interrupted before the blonde could say anything. "She's right," he remarked, taking a bite of the carrot. "Even my professor wouldn't let me live it down."

"Ouch," Wasabi commented. "That's harsh."

"Nah, not really. If it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have figured out what my real passion was. Although I still want to work on some kind of medical technology. I don't know what yet, though."

"Well, you should totally talk to Professor Callaghan," Honey suggested cheerfully. "He's the robotics expert. He'd probably help you come up with some really good ideas."

"Yeah, I've got a class with him tomorrow," Tadashi replied with yet another smile. "Pretty stoked for that."

"Which class?" Honey asked.

"Industrial design."

"Oh my God, Gogo, isn't that the same class you're in?!" the girl cried, leaning across the counter toward her roommate. "That is _so _awesome!"

"Yeah, that _is_ pretty cool," Tadashi remarked, eyes twinkling in Gogo's direction.

"Ooh you guys can be study partners!" Honey exclaimed.

Gogo was pretty sure she was going to murder someone by the time dinner was over.

"Yeah, it's not like you're anti-social or anything, are you, Gogo?"

"Wasabi, shut your mouth before I shove this piece of broccoli in it," she threatened.

"See, you don't want to spend time with her. She has the all the grace and charm of a desert cobra."

"Oh, stop it, you two!" Honey interrupted, glowering at both her friends. "Let Tadashi eat in peace."

"Really, it's okay. It's more entertaining this way," Tadashi joked, unexpectedly waggling his eyebrows at Gogo.

She had absolutely _no_ idea how to respond to that. In fact, Gogo wasn't sure how to respond to any part of the conversation anymore. She was pretty certain that she was going to die of embarrassment and whatever the hell else was wrong with her if dinner didn't end soon.

Thankfully, it did, though, and after a few minutes of more small talk and cleaning up dishes, the boys were finally at the door bidding their goodbyes.

"Thanks for the dinner, Honey," Tadashi remarked, after accepting another bone-crushing hug from the taller girl. "It was amazing."

"No prob! Come on over whenever you want! I _love _to cook for guests."

"That is the understatement of the century," Wasabi chuckled.

Tadashi laughed and then turned to Gogo, who was trying her best to look…normal. She wasn't entirely sure if it was working.

"It was nice meeting you, Gogo," the boy said smoothly, holding out his hand for her to shake. "I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Yeah, I guess so," she murmured, internally berating herself for enjoying how perfectly her hand fit into his. "See ya then."

"See ya."

"Goodnight!"

And then they were gone.

"Sooo, what did you think?" Honey immediately inquired, poking her friend in the shoulder.

"I think," Gogo replied wearily, "I need to go to bed."

And with that, she disappeared into her room and called it a night.

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><p><em>AN: So, I hope that wasn't a total failure, since I did enjoy writing it. I was afraid Gogo got a bit OOC in some parts, but I'm probably being paranoid. Anyway, don't hesitate to review - I love reviews! And special thanks to **KateMarie999 **for bothering me incessantly and being there to bounce ideas off of. (Btw, she has a fic called "Personal Matchmaking Companion" about Baymax interfering with Hiro's love life. It's pretty hilarious and I highly recommend it)._

**_EDIT: So if you've come back here, you may have noticed that I changed the title of this chapter! This is because for a while now, I've been wanting to write a story where every chapter is named after a song relevant to the content (and in this case, the ship). It's kind of a tall order for myself, but I'm going to try to do that with this story. I searched for a long time trying to find a Tomadashi song appropriate for this chapter, and I finally settled on Owl City's "Deer in the Headlights" since although it's sung from the point of view of a guy, it captures how Gogo was sort of caught off-guard when she first met Tadashi. I might make a playlist on YouTube or post a fanmix on tumblr of the songs once I've got a few chapters going, so you guys can have your own Tomadashi soundtrack to this fic! I might need help picking songs in the future, so if anyone has any good suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Anyway, again, thanks for reading and reviewing. You guys are awesome! _**


	2. So Long

_Dear Readers,_

_Hi! I am SO sorry it took me this long to update - honestly I meant to write about a week or so after I posted the first chapter, but I got strep throat right after Thanksgiving, was sick for a week, and then got overwhelmed by the pre-Christmas rush. I've been working relentlessly on this chapter for the past few days so I could finally get it out and wouldn't have to make you guys wait any longer. Anyway, THANK YOU THANK YOU for your amazing reception to this fic so far - thanks to everyone who reviewed and to the even more people who have favorited/followed. It makes me feel so awesome; I'm so flattered by how much people are already enjoying this!_

_If anyone has re-visited the first chapter lately, you may have noticed that I changed the name and added a few little tidbits. For those of you who are too lazy to go back (don't worry, I'd be too lol), basically what I've decided is to **give every chapter a "theme song"** that somewhat relates to the content and to the Tomadashi ship in general. So from here on out, **every chapter will be named after a particular song or piece of music** that I feel fits what's going on between Gogo and Tadashi. It's kind of a tall order for myself, but I've wanted to do this with a fic for awhile and I figure now's as good a time as any! The last chapter's song is "Deer in the Headlights" by Owl City, since although it's from the point of view of the guy, I felt like it captures how off-guard Gogo felt when first meeting Tadashi. Once I get a few more chapters up, **I might create a YouTube playlist** or something so everyone can have access to their own **Tomadashi soundtrack** :) _

_Anyway, I'm extremely excited to finally be posting this. This chapter was even more fun to write than the last one, and I hope it's just as fun for you all to read. Thanks again! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!  
><em>

_Best Regards,_

_Pooka_

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><p><strong>Soundtrack: <strong>"So Long" by Zooey Deschanel (from _Winnie the Pooh_, 2011 film)

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><p><strong>II. So Long<strong>

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><p><em>"I won't get too sappy<br>I've had no epiphany  
>I just enjoy your company<em>

_You test my nerves, it makes me stronger  
>So can you bother me a little bit longer?"<em>

—Zooey Deschanel, "So Long"

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><p><em>Drip-drop-drip-drop-drip-drip-drip-drop<em>

At first Gogo thought the distinct pitter-pattering she was hearing was merely a remnant of her dream that was nearing its end. But when she finally awoke, she found to her dismay that it was in fact raining outside – pouring, actually. This meant she was going to have to practically swim across campus to get to class, a prospect she began dreading even before she reluctantly emerged from under the covers. Rainy days were all well and good on weekends in spring and on afternoons during the summertime, when you could actually throw your umbrella aside and run barefoot through the downpour without worrying about stupid things like getting to class on time or catching pneumonia. But when it was winter and you _did _have those things to consider, a rainy day was just short of hell on earth.

This day was going to suck. She could just _feel_ it.

Gogo left the dorm half an hour later to fetch breakfast. Thankfully the rain had lulled to a mild drizzle by that point, so she managed to reach the Student Center without getting drenched. But by the time she was done eating, the deluge had returned in full-force, leaving her to make a mad dash for the next building, all the while hoping her umbrella wouldn't prove itself completely useless against the relentless flood.

Unfortunately for Gogo, her hope was completely in vain. When she finally burst through the doors her leggings were soaked to the skin and she was shivering so violently she was quite frankly surprised that she hadn't immediately collapsed to the floor. After closing her umbrella, the girl groaned and pushed back the sleeve of her raincoat to glance at her watch (waterproof, thank God).

_11:00 A.M._

"Shit!" Gogo yelled far too loudly as the little blue numbers glared up at her. The stupid rain had delayed her and now she was late. And her class was on the – what floor was it again? Oh, right. The _third_ floor.

_Well, at least I can take the elevator, _she mused, looking up ahead to the place in question.

_OUT OF ORDER_

"Goddammit," she muttered under her breath.

Yes, this day was _definitely_ going to suck.

She all but stumbled into Design Studio 3 ten minutes later, causing the entire room to turn heads and gawk at her rather embarrassingly. The professor, who had been in the middle of speaking, paused and greeted her with a knowing smile.

"Ah! Our final refugee from the storm," he announced, walking to his desk and scooping up a syllabus. "You must be Miss Tanaka."

"Um, yeah," Gogo mumbled lamely, trying to ignore the heat flooding into her cheeks at the presence of her unwanted audience.

"I'm Professor Callaghan," the man replied, handing her the packet of papers. "We just started going over this so you haven't missed much. Luckily we've got one last seat saved for you." He nodded toward an empty desk in the second row.

And then, for what seemed like hours, Gogo froze.

That lopsided smile was unmistakable. It was the same frustrating smile that had unexpectedly caught her off-guard the previous morning, the same smile that had taunted her all throughout dinner, the same smile that had haunted her dreams with frightening clarity. And it was attached to the face of a boy that she was now quite sure was going to be the death of her.

_Tadashi. _

She'd completely forgotten he was going to be in this class.

As if on cue, Tadashi's trademark grin widened the moment she caught his gaze, and he lifted a hand in a tiny wave of recognition. Gogo ignored the sudden swooping sensation in her gut and tore her eyes away with a frown as she headed to her seat.

"I was afraid you'd drowned out there," Tadashi whispered jokingly as Gogo slid into her chair.

"Might as well have," the girl grumbled, hoping that would make him shut up and stop looking at her.

Tadashi chuckled softly and thankfully turned back to his notebook, but any chances Gogo had of being able to concentrate on her class had been hopelessly shattered. Professor Callaghan's voice was now no more intelligible than the voices of the adults on a Charlie Brown special, and the words on the pages of the syllabus looked like nothing more than jumbled heaps of meaningless symbols. The only clear things running through Gogo's mind were _that smile_ and the fact that its owner was, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, sitting merely inches away from her.

A nudge to her arm fifteen minutes later suddenly broke her out of her reverie. She turned and once again met Tadashi's face. Did this guy _ever_ stop grinning?

"What?" she snapped, a tiny bit more tartly than she intended.

"Did you doze off?" he asked amusedly. "Professor Callaghan just said he wants us to pair up and interview each other for the next ten minutes and then introduce each other to the rest of the class."

"Oh, _God_," Gogo muttered before she could stop herself. Could this day get any worse?

"Not one for icebreakers, huh?" Tadashi remarked, his eyes twinkling.

"Ya think?"

He chuckled. "Well, here. I'll go first. Ask away."

Gogo raised an eyebrow. "What are we supposed to ask?"

"You know. Name, where you're from, something interesting about yourself. That kinda thing."

"Right," Gogo grumbled, fiddling with the corner of her syllabus awkwardly. She began chewing on her gum more fiercely in an attempt to distract herself from the Olympic gymnastics routine her stomach seemed hell-bent on performing. "Name."

"Are you asking?"

"What the hell do you think I'm doing?"

"Well, it didn't sound like a question." He smirked.

"For the love of – just tell me your damn name," she half-hissed.

"What, you don't remember my name even after I had dinner at your place last night?" Tadashi clutched his chest in mock offense. "That hurts."

Gogo rolled her eyes, but in the back of her mind she had to admit she was mildly amused by Tadashi's sense of humor. "First of all, I wasn't the one who invited you, and second, you never mentioned your last name."

His mouth broke into a smile again. "It's Hamada. Tadashi Hamada."

_Tadashi Hamada. _She was never going to say this out loud, but she liked the way the name sounded in her head.

"All right," she said, shaking the previous thought from her mind. "That takes care of the name. Where are you from?"

"Right here in San Fransokyo. You couldn't tell from the hat?"

Gogo shot a quick glance at the San Fransokyo Ninjas cap situated atop Tadashi's head. "Look, if you wanted me to just figure out the answers to these stupid questions on my own, you could've just said so," she deadpanned.

He laughed and nudged her arm again. "I'm just messing with you. Next question."

She let out a sigh, but it wasn't as heavy as it could've been. "Do you live on campus?"

"Nope. At home."

"Any siblings?"

"Just one. A little brother. He's thirteen."

For the first time that day, a smile twitched at the corners of Gogo's lips. "Heh, that sounds like fun."

"Yeah right! Our house is pretty small so I share a room with him, and half the time it's like his ultimate life goal is to drive me insane."

Gogo snorted, her grin actually widening a bit. "He's a piece of work, huh?"

"Ohhh yeah. He's like this kid genius - in his senior year of high school already. And of _course _he acts like he knows everything all the time."

"Wow," Gogo replied, intrigued despite herself. "That's—"

"Obnoxious? Heck yes. That little knucklehead is crazy. I swear some days I just feel like hurling him out the window."

She finally had to laugh at that. Gogo didn't quite know what had happened over the span of the last few minutes, but somehow she'd gone from wanting to hide in her room for the rest of the semester to – dare she say it – actually _enjoying_ this odd conversation. Somewhat. Well, maybe "enjoying" was stretching things a bit. Even though Tadashi was proving to be kind of entertaining.

Just kind of.

"So. I guess it's your turn now," Tadashi suddenly said, once again rousing Gogo from her thoughts. "Time for me to ask the questions."

"Hold on, mister," the girl interrupted, holding up a hand as if to stop him. "You haven't told me something _interesting_ about yourself yet." She smirked up at him.

He returned her smirk with another one of his own. "Right. That." He paused for a moment and looked away, lost in thought.

"Well?"

"Give me a minute!"

She laughed again. "What, are you so boring that you can't come up with anything remotely interesting to say about yourself?"

"For your information," Tadashi answered, making a face at her, "I am so incredibly awesome that I am having trouble choosing which thing about me is the _most _interesting."

"Pff, right."

"It's true!"

"Will you just give me something already?"

He huffed, feigning annoyance. "_Fiiiiiine,_" he whined jokingly. "My baseball team in middle school almost made it to the Little League World Series."

"Are you serious?"

"I swear, that is, in fact, the absolute truth."

"Huh," Gogo said, leaning back in her chair. "That's fricking awesome."

"Well, yeah, it was, if you don't count me getting hit by a ball in the playoffs and breaking my arm,"* Tadashi replied. "Anyway. Now to you."

"Oh, great," muttered Gogo, rolling her eyes once again. "Make it quick."

"You're making it sound like I'm about to execute you!" he laughed.

"You might as well be. I hate these things."

"Okay, fine. I'll be quick. What's your name?"

She gave him a sly sideways glance and answered, "Gogo Tomago."

"Your _real _name, silly!"

Gogo looked away and casually blew a bubble in her gum. "How do you know that's not my real name?" she teased after popping the bubble in her mouth.

"Because Wasabi told me about your pal Fred and his weird nicknames for you guys. Besides, I'm pretty sure no parent would intentionally name their kid after the Japanese word for 'egg.'"**

"It's not even spelled right."

"That's not the point. Now will you answer my question?"

"Fine. It's Leiko Tanaka."

"Leiko Tanaka," Tadashi repeated. Gogo's breath unexpectedly caught in her throat upon hearing his voice speak her true name and for a split second she could've sworn her heart had stopped beating.

Ever since Fred had dubbed her "Gogo Tomago" the year before, she had hardly ever used her other name, preferring to distance herself from it for…personal reasons. But now, hearing this boy who only a day ago had been a complete stranger, say her real name, it sounded so…_right. _Almost…

_Perfect. _

_Oh, shut up._

"Hey, are you okay? You've been spacing out a lot."

"I'm fine," Gogo answered curtly. Her stomach was doing somersaults again. "Next question."

"Okay. Where are you from?"

"Same as you. Here."

His face lit up. "Really? That's so cool. You're the first local student I've actually met around here."

"Yeah, well, it's not too exciting. Next question."

"Whoa, speeding along much?"

"Why do we have to have a discussion about every answer? It's just a dumb icebreaker," Gogo griped. "Ask me another question."

Tadashi was the one who rolled his eyes this time. "Okay, fine. What's something interesting about you?"

"I like bike-riding."

Tadashi's brow furrowed. "That's it?"

"All right, I like bike-riding and I'm pretty damn fast. Is that interesting enough for you?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "How fast?"

"Will you stop? I already answered your question."

"Okay, time's up, class!" Professor Callaghan called from the front of the room, effectively putting an end to the conversation.

Strangely, however, Gogo felt a pang in her chest at having her little exchange with Tadashi cut short. Maybe she actually _had_ been enjoying it?

She didn't get time to ponder, though, because Professor Callaghan began calling on students to start the introductions. The next few minutes were a blur – within seconds of introducing Tadashi she had nearly forgotten what she'd said (she refused to admit that listening to Tadashi say her real name again had anything to do with that), and soon after she realized she had barely registered anything anyone else (except Tadashi, of course) had said either. Thankfully, Professor Callaghan ended the class early after that, and the students were soon on their way out the door.

"So, where are you headed?" Tadashi asked as he fell into step beside Gogo.

"Back to my dorm. I've got some time before my next class. Besides, I need to change out of this mess." She indicated her sodden leggings with an irritated glance.

"Ah, yeah," Tadashi answered almost apologetically. "Got stuck in the worst of it, huh?"

"If I'd known it was going to be Noah's Flood out there I would've built an ark and sailed here instead of only bringing my umbrella."

Tadashi burst into laughter, earning an incredulous eyebrow-raise from the girl beside him.

"You're pretty funny, you know that, Gogo?"

She tried desperately to ignore the immediate flush in her cheeks at the comment. "So," she uttered quickly, trying to steer the conversation away from things that made her feel inexplicably breathless, "where are you off to?"

To Gogo's relief, Tadashi took the bait. "The library. I've got some time before my next class too but I figured I'd get some reading in for my classes tomorrow," he replied.

She let out an amused huff. "Why does this not surprise me?"

"You mean you're not an overachiever too?"

"Only when I feel like it."

He laughed again. She hated herself for it, but she was beginning to really like that laugh.

In a few minutes, the pair finally reached the lobby doors. They paused, both taking in the rain still driving in torrents outside.

"They should really just cancel class when it rains like this," Tadashi muttered after a moment.

"Oh, woman up. It's just water."

"Hey, _you _were the one who was just complaining about it being Noah's Flood like two minutes ago," he countered.

"Well, I never said it was a reason to cancel class," Gogo retorted.

"You mean you'd rather walk to class in a downpour than be able to stay in bed all day."

"You're putting words in my mouth."

"But that's what you're implying, right?" His eyes were twinkling mischievously and another smirk was toying at the edges of his mouth.

Gogo poked him in the ribs.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?"

"Stop trying to pick a fight with me. You won't win," she replied matter-of-factly as she looked away, blowing another bubble in her gum.

"Oh, is that so?"

_Pop. _"Ask Wasabi. He'll tell you I'm right."

"All right, fine. I'll let it go. _For now._" He winked playfully.

"Don't test your luck," she warned, but her eyes were smiling.

"So…I guess I'll see you later, then?"

Gogo turned back to look at him and was struck by how eagerly hopeful Tadashi's face seemed. Her heart leapt into her throat. _He wants to see me again_, she thought almost gleefully, but then immediately dismissed the idea with an inward scowl. For God's sake, he was just some nice guy she'd happened to meet – there was nothing to get excited over.

Absolutely nothing at all.

"Yeah, I guess. I usually eat dinner with Wasabi and Honey. And Fred, if he shows up."

Tadashi beamed brightly, sending Gogo's stomach catapulting into her lungs. "Great! I'll see you then probably."

She gulped, attempting to compose her insides. "Yeah."

The two then pushed open the doors and stepped out under the overhang to open their umbrellas. Tadashi's opened with ease and he swung it up over his head with no issue. Gogo, however, was having a bit of a struggle getting hers to budge.

"Do you need help?" Tadashi asked.

"I think the damn thing is broken," Gogo grumbled. "Great. Well this is just my lucky day."

"Hey, no worries," Tadashi said. "I'll walk you to your dorm."

"I, uh, you really don't have to do that," Gogo protested as the blood rushed to her cheeks again.

"No, it's fine. It told you, I've got some time before my next class."

"But what about your reading?" _Well _that _sounded stupid_.

"Ah, it can wait."

She sighed. "Really, Tadashi, I'm okay. A little more rain won't hurt me."

"Gogo," he insisted, "you're already wet. Come on. I'll walk you."

Something about the overly concerned expression on Tadashi's face told the girl that he wasn't going to let the matter go, so with another sigh, she conceded and stepped under the boy's umbrella.

"You know, you can just walk me to the Student Center," she remarked as they stepped out into the storm. "I might as well stop by the campus store to buy a new umbrella."

"Okay, sure. I just didn't want you getting any more soaked than you already were."

"Are you always this chivalrous?" Gogo blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Hey, I like to think chivalry isn't dead, okay? Is that such a bad thing?"

A tiny smile danced on the edge of Gogo's lips in spite of herself. "I didn't say it was."

They walked the rest of the way talking of various things. Somehow, Tadashi eventually ended up regaling Gogo with a few anecdotes about his little brother, and by the time the two reached the Student Center, the girl was covering her mouth in an attempt to prevent herself from collapsing into a fit of giggles.

"Hiro's a riot, I tell you," Tadashi said. "Maybe one day I'll bring him here for a visit and you guys can meet him."

"Now that," Gogo replied, trying to catch her breath, "I'd look forward to."

"Awesome! As soon as I can convince him that 'nerd school' is better than making a career out of professional bot-fighting, I'll make it happen."

Gogo snorted. "He wants to be a bot-fighter?"

"I told you, the kid's a riot."

Gogo shook her head, smiling. "Man, I don't know how you put up with sharing a room with him."

"Earphones," Tadashi answered simply with a wide grin, and Gogo couldn't help but laugh again.

"Nice."

He folded his umbrella closed as they stepped into the building and then turned to face Gogo again. "Well, here we are."

"Yeah." She paused. "Hey, um, thanks."

Tadashi shrugged. "No problem. Sorry if I talked your ear off."

"Nah, it's fine," Gogo answered.

They both paused then, each one gazing at the other for far too long of a moment.

"So, uh…" Gogo uttered awkwardly, shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

"_Ahem_, right," Tadashi coughed, seemingly unaware of the blush coloring his cheeks. "I should get going. Dinner tonight, right?"

"Yeah."

"Great. See you then!" Tadashi backed toward the door with a wave and disappeared outside into the sheets of rain.

Gogo stood in her spot for a few seconds, staring after him. She had no clue what exactly had transpired in the past hour, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was beginning, something she couldn't quite explain. And whatever it was had entirely to do with this boy, this inexplicably charming boy who in the span of a day had managed to worm his way into her—

_Oh my God, you are SO_ _pathetic._

Then again, she was probably just imagining things.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Just a couple things. First, the starred parts in this chapter:  
><em>

_*This is actually based on a true story. When my cousin was in middle school, his arm got broken during a baseball game after it was hit by an incoming pitch._

_**"Tomago" is a distortion of the Japanese word "tamago," which means "egg". _

_Anyway, one last bit about the theme songs - __I may need help picking them out in the future, so **I'd welcome any suggestions**. I'm thinking I'll probably post on tumblr a general idea of what's going on in the next chapter when I have some written, and then **people can send in their suggestions to my ask box** if they'd like.  
><em>

_Also, before I go, I'd like to give an obligatory shout-out to **KateMarie999** for always being there to chat and bounce ideas off of and just generally bother me so I actually get writing done. Thank you! _

_Thanks again for reading! I love you guys! _


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